The Return
by Charley Trout
Summary: The sequel to "The Island." Hikaru and Misa are back aboard the SDF-01 after spending a month as castaways on their own planet. They discovered the Protoculture island and also each other... What happens next? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! This story is a sequel to "The Island," which was my first foray into fanfic. I am not necessarily sure where I want this to go, but I know that I've missed writing about these two, so I'm back at it. Stay tuned, please review, and let me know what you think. As always, thanks for reading!**

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><p>Shivering, Misa reached for the control panel that was mounted on one of the four glass panels surrounding her. Pressing a finger onto its smooth surface, she sighed in relief as the droplets of water falling on her instantly grew warmer. But she wanted it hotter yet. Soon the glass box was steaming. The heat of the water had reddened her ivory skin until her entire body seemed to blush. She stood motionless for minutes on end, trying to make sense of what had happened to her and Hikaru on the island, and what would come next now that they were safely aboard the SDF-01.<p>

_Where do we go from here? Who am I anymore? _Misa wondered to herself. _If there's even an army left after all this destruction, do I still want to be a soldier? A Captain? What about Hikaru?_ She sank to the ground, holding her heads in her hand. The warm water had heated the ceramic tiles at her feet, and for now, she was contented to watch the water swirl into the drain. She exhaled deeply, feeling slightly dizzy from exhaustion and the steam.

She hadn't heard the familiar click-clack of UN Spacy uniform heels approach her but she jumped at the sound of a soft knock on the glass wall she was pressed up against. She looked up, wet hair in her face, and brushed her hand against the wall to clear some of the fog from the glass. A warm brown face smiled at her tenderly, lips always a pale pink.

"It's been an hour, Misa. I was starting to worry about you in here," said Claudia softly, her voice calm and serene.

Misa stared back up at Claudia's kind eyes through the glass. At the sight of her best friend and sister-in-arms, tears began to escape her jade eyes. The tears gave way into sobs, though she couldn't be sure what she was crying about. Grief, fatigue, and relief washed over her in relentless waves.

"It's okay, I'm here for you," said Claudia, her voice velvet and comforting.

Claudia shed her uniform jacket and shoes in an elegant fashion and opened the door to the shower, exposing herself to the water completely. She jumped at its scalding temperature and turned it down slightly. She nodded with resolve and took to the task before her.

Grasping Misa's hands, Claudia slowly brought her pale, naked friend to her feet. Gently, she helped Misa sit on a small glass ledge protruding from one of the walls. She was as thin as Claudia had ever seen her, which caused her worry. But it was to be expected after surviving so long on such meager rations.

Claudia manipulated the shower controls to dispense shampoo manually. She rubbed it in her own hands for a moment, and then began to lather Misa's wheaten hair, starting at the roots. It had grown a shade lighter, presumably from sun exposure. Soon she had all of Misa's hair in a foamy pile atop her head, careful to keep it out of her friend's eyes. Claudia helped Misa to her feet once more and rinsed the soapy froth out until the water ran clear. She continued to bathe her friend diligently, conditioning Misa's hair and sponging her arms, legs, neck, back, and torso.

Misa was practically asleep from exhaustion and relaxation when Claudia turned the shower off at last. She quickly fetched several towels from a nearby closet and wrapped Misa up like a child headed out to play in the snow. She stripped her own wet blouse and skirt off and found a lilac-colored robe hanging from a knob on the back of the bathroom door. Its chest pocket had "Hayase" embroidered in white thread. Claudia smiled to herself, hoping her friend wouldn't mind loaning it to her.

Claudia led Misa out of the bathroom slowly by the hand, sitting her down on the foot of the double bed. Gently, she toweled her friend off. Finding a pair of pajamas in one of the dresser drawers, Claudia brought them over and dressed Misa for slumber. Misa was wordless, but her eyes were soft with feeling and gratitude.

Claudia left for a moment and returned with a cup of cool liquid. She had debated preparing Misa's tea, but thought a hot beverage would have been too much after such a hot shower. It was an electrolyte drink with a hint of raspberry flavor. Claudia held the cup to Misa's lips and luckily, she drank, gulp after silent gulp. After the vessel was emptied, Claudia set it on the bedside table.

Drawing the blankets down, she helped Misa crawl into bed. Tenderly, Claudia tucked her fragile friend in with a kiss to the forehead.

"Sleep well, my friend. You've certainly earned it. You'll feel better when you wake," whispered Claudia. Misa nodded once and was lost to sleep before she could nod again.

Creeping out of Misa's quarters quietly, Claudia was was met at the door by Admiral Bruno Global and Sergeant Maximilian Jenius, who had flown Misa and Hikaru's rescue vehicle.

"Well?" asked Global in a softened version of his gruff growl, his eyebrow arched at the sight of Claudia in a fuzzy purple robe. But she didn't miss a beat.

"Sir, she's exhausted in every possible way – emotionally, mentally, physically. I gave her a sleeping medicine – what she needs most is rest," said Claudia resolutely.

Admiral Global nodded with an approving grunt and turned to Max Jenius. "What about Ichijou, Sergeant?"

"More or less the same, sir. I made him drink a cup of whiskey just as you ordered, got one of the bathing androids to give him the works in the tub, and put him to bed. He could barely stand by the end," said Max in an even voice.

Admiral Global ran a hand through his thick mustache, clearing his throat with a hack before speaking with authority. "Your orders for this week are to make sure our two survivors are taken care of. What they have seen is critical to our civilization and humanity's continued existence, and it is imperative that they are able to make a full report of it. I'll see that your other duties are reassigned."

"Yes, sir," replied Claudia and Max in unison.

Admiral Global turned and strode down the corridor back in the direction of the bridge. Max gave Claudia a polite nod and began to walk to the men's quarters. Claudia stood in the hallway alone, as she always seemed to be lately.

_Oh, Roy. How I wish you were still here. Your little brother needs you, and so do I_, she thought to herself sadly.

Claudia reentered Misa's quarters silently, turning the door handle slowly to keep it from rattling. She made her way to the couch and laid down, hoping to sleep half as well as the woman in the next room surely would.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's a new chapter! Misa and Hikaru don't get much of a first date in DYRL... so I've decided to fix that. It's so fitting that these two have done all the emotional, heavy stuff together before any of the light, fluffy, "couple" stuff. If they can survive Zentradi Armageddon and survey the barren Earth together, certainly they can handle a dinner date... Right?! ;)**

**A big thank you to my reviewers so far - I live for your feedback! I so appreciate your thoughts and encouragement. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy. Much more to come. :)**

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><p>Without an alarm clock, Misa stirred at exactly 0600 hours, like she did every morning for the 0700 shift. But today was different. Rubbing sleep out of her eye, she pushed a lock of hair out of her face and sat up groggily. The inside of her mouth was a desert. She swallowed uneasily. Looking down into her lap, Misa noticed that she was dressed in pajamas – recalling her last memory, a vision of Claudia scooping her out of the shower came drifting back. Evidently her friend had readied her for bed.<p>

_I should really get her a present for putting up with me_, Misa thought to herself wistfully. She sighed at the thought of being so helpless. Pushing that feeling from her mind, she planted her bare feet on the carpeted floor and stood up, tentatively at first, but growing confident with each step she took toward the door. She thought she would be weaker. _I can walk – that's a good start_, she joked to herself internally.

Instinctively, she passed through the small hallway that connected her bedroom to the kitchen and living area of the apartment. As she reached for the control panel that governed the lights, she took a hasty step backwards and brought her left forearm up in front of her defensively. Her heart was in her throat, its beat ringing in her ears. _There's someone on the couch, _she realized instantly.

_Steady, _she commanded person appeared to be sleeping. _Ichijou? _She wondered, and felt her face redden. With the touch of a fingertip to the control panel, she brightened the room just enough to make out Claudia's sleeping figure, ensconced in a fuzzy purple fabric that Misa recognized as her own robe. The corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile.

Claudia started to move. Late night patrols and early morning scrambles had made them both light sleepers.

"Morning," mumbled Claudia.

"Morning, replied Misa softly.

"Old habits die hard, huh?" said Claudia in a low voice as she got herself upright on the couch.

"At this point, I wake up at 0600 whether I want to or not," mused Misa. She walked behind the kitchen counter and pulled a few items from her cabinets, assembling them on the small center island.

"Same here – it drove Roy crazy. Somehow that man could sleep like a baby," Claudia replied somberly.

Misa paused for a moment. "Coffee or tea?" she asked.

"Neither, but thanks for offering. I'll make my way shortly, but before I do…" Claudia trailed off as she stood.

Misa eyed her friend. "Yes?" she asked.

"You've got plans today. I've got plans for you, straight from Admiral Global," replied Claudia in a grandiose tone.

Misa could only stare back in befuddlement.

"The Admiral has tasked me with making sure that you fully recuperate from your expedition. That means no working this week. Sergeant Jenius is doing the same with Lieutenant Ichijou," said Claudia matter-of-factly.

"I see," replied Misa. She was torn – on the one hand, she wanted to return to work – military discipline was second nature to her. Routine comforted her. On the other hand, she knew she needed to decompress from the ordeal, though the thought of not working was more alien to her than the Protoculture Colony she and Hikaru had discovered submerged beneath the Pacific Ocean.

"Your first order of non-business is to meet Lieutenant Ichijou for breakfast today. The Admiral has suggested that spending some of your recovery time together may be beneficial, since you are the only two people to have seen what you did," said Claudia evenly. "You two have been through quite an ordeal."

Misa nodded blandly, willing her cheeks to stay pale. She didn't know what Claudia knew and wanted to betray nothing – Max Jenius and the medics had seen the intimate embrace she'd shared with the pilot – her inferior - and she didn't know how big any of their mouths were. _I love you Claudia, but I'm not ready to talk about what happened._ "That sounds fine," peeped Misa. "Where are we to meet?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"At the City Coffeehouse & Creperie, at 1000 hours," Claudia replied with a smile. She smiled at Misa's feeble attempt to contain herself. Claudia, of course, knew about the kiss. A loose-lipped medic had started to sing when the rescue shuttle had docked with the SDF-01. Luckily, Claudia had intercepted him before any damage could be done. He'd taken the hint – nobody wanted to get on the bad side of Admiral Global's top two bridge officers, and nobody wanted two ace Valkyrie pilots to come looking to teach a rumormonger a lesson.

Claudia had to tip her hat to Sergeant Jenius, though. He'd been too kind and perhaps too naïve to breathe a word to anyone.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll leave you to get ready," Claudia said jovially, with a wink to Misa.

Misa gulped. "Uh, thanks," she replied.

Claudia was about to close the door behind her when Misa ran after her.

"Claudia, wait!" Misa cried. "I wanted to thank you for helping me last night. I don't know what I would have done without you," she said sincerely.

"You're welcome. I know you would have done the same for me," replied Claudia with a smile. "Girls like us have to stick together!" she said with a smile. "Now go get ready and have a good time."

Misa shut the door behind Claudia and checked her kitchen clock. _0700. Too early to get ready for a 1000 meeting. _She thought. _Unless you're Miss Macross. _She bit her lip, having thought of Minmay by accident. Pushing the lost songstress out of her mind, Misa walked back into her bedroom and crawled back into bed, savoring the thought of some extra rest before her late breakfast date with Hikaru.

It felt like only a minute of slumber, but when she woke, it was 0930 hours. _Shit!_ She thought. Waking up late was so unusual for Misa, but she had to admit that today was definitely an unusual day. Cursing under her breath, she jumped in and out of the shower as quick as the programmed bathing sequence could cycle. Misa dressed quickly, in a royal blue pleated skirt that came just above her knees and a white button-up blouse with long sleeves and a bow collar. She slipped a pair of nude colored pumps on her feet.

She scurried back into the bathroom, her hair dripping wet. In a rare exercise of vanity, she let the hairstyling robot coif her. Usually she washed her hair the night before and let it air-dry until morning but that wasn't an option. The last step was just a hint of makeup. She always preferred to apply light cosmetics manually, finding that the makeup sequences offered by the grooming robot favored more rouge and lipstick than she liked.

At 0954, she burst out the door with a bright yellow trench coat-style jacket and a small emerald green leather handbag that resembled a paper envelope. It dangled from her shoulder on a gold chain-link strap. It was 1003 by the time she made it to the City Coffeehouse & Creperie. She'd flagged down a few of the many Jeeps circling about the base and found one heading into the civilian sector. With a nod of thanks, she hopped down from the passenger seat and patted the vehicle's rear quarterpanel, signaling the driver to move on.

She composed herself, smoothing her skirt and blouse, shedding the yellow jacket and tucking it up under her arm. She walked in the door of the small café, and a soft bell chimed, signaling a patron's entrance. She scanned the room for Hikaru and didn't see the familiar mop of unruly espresso hair that was his signature. She glanced back outside through the large picture windows, but the patio tables were empty.

She frowned slightly, and decided to get in line for a coffee. _He's probably running late too_, she told herself a little too eagerly. The line was three or four people deep. Patrons ordered beverages and baked goods at one station, and the made-to-order crepe station flanked the adjoining wall, behind panes of clear glass for viewing the culinary delights.

The line moved slowly but surely. The elderly man in front of her appeared to be finishing up his order. She was debating between chai tea latte and cappuccino when she felt a tap on her right shoulder. She turned on her heel and found herself staring directly into Ichijou Hikaru's ocean-blue eyes.

"Misa," he whispered.

"Hikaru," she echoed.


End file.
